Ripogenus Lake in Piscataquis County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Ripogenus Lake is a Piscataquis County water, Maine side. Around the bank it is rolling bush. At 2.8 sq miles this is proper open water rather than a pond. It ranks high for size among our Piscataquis County listings. For a base, Millinocket sits 29 miles out. Greenville follows at 35 miles, then East Millinocket at 36 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ripogenus Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Public occurrence data for Piscataquis County names Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brook trout and brown trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Ripogenus Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 10°F in January up to 65°F in July. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. The water is typically free of ice between late April and early December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That is the shape of the year on Ripogenus Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Egg Pond at 1.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Ripogenus Lake if anything is unclear.